Biosynthesis of the Food and Cosmetic Plant Pigment Bixin (Annatto)

Abstract

Bixin, also known as annatto, is a seed-specific pigment widely used in foods and cosmetics since pre-Columbian times. We show that three genes from Bixa orellana, native to tropical America, govern bixin biosynthesis. These genes code for lycopene cleavage dioxygenase, bixin aldehyde dehydrogenase, and norbixin carboxyl methyltransferase, which catalyze the sequential conversion of lycopene into bixin. Introduction of these three genes in Escherichia coli engineered to produce lycopene induced bixin synthesis, thus expanding the supply of this economically important plant product.

Retinal biosynthesis in Eubacteria: in vitro characterization of a novel carotenoid oxygenase from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

“…The cloning of VP14 also led to the identification of additional carotenoid cleavage enzymes from plants which are involved in the synthesis of apo-carotenoid pigments, such as bixin in Bixa orellana (Bouvier et al ., 2003a) and saffron in Crocus sativus (Bouvier et al ., 2003b), or of volatile compounds like b -ionone in A. thaliana (Schwartz et al, 2001).…”

Carotenoids in nature: insights from plants and beyond

“…Safranal (2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-dien-1-carboxaldehyde) is easily synthesised by de-glucosylation of picrocrocin and composes~70% of total volatiles from crocin flowers ( Fig. 1) (Leffingwell 2002;Bouvier et al 2003a;Schwab et al 2008). There is a growing interest in the impact of saffron carotenoids on human health due to their high antioxidant capacity (Verma and Bordia 1998).…”

Biosynthesis of food constituents: Natural pigments. Part 2 - a review

“…The biosynthesis of bixin (Bouvier et al 2003a, b;BIOCYC 2007) Figure 53 29 Picrocrocin is largely responsible for the bitter taste of this spice, whereas safranal is the main constituent of its aroma. These two compounds are produced early in the degradation pathway of zeaxanthin and the volatile safranal is produced non-enzymatically by the action of heat.…”